Kickoff to Christmas
Kickoff to Christmas, originally named Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas, is an annual programming event that has been airing on (and its predecessor, ABC Family) every November since 2007. As its original title suggests, it serves as a lead-in to the network's annual 25 Days of Christmas programming event in December. Likes its December companion, it typically consists of family-oriented movies, some of which pertain to Christmas and some of which do not. Since the network is owned by the Walt Disney Company, many of the non-holiday-themed movies aired on the block are ones owned by Disney, though some non-holiday movies owned by other studios (such as WarnerMedia) have also turned up on the block. Unlike the 25 Days of Christmas, Kickoff to Christmas has not expanded to airing on the other networks owned by Disney. History In 2007, due to popular ratings for the 25 Days of Christmas from the previous year, ABC Family launched a companion block titled the Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas, which began on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving. Although this was the network's first official early start for Christmas programming,http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070424abcfamily04 in recent years, holiday programming had actually always begun during the last week of November, showing mostly older original films. The 2008 countdown included the basic cable debuts of Disney's Aladdin, the live-action Garfield movie, and the ABC Family debut of the 's A Carol Christmas. The 2009 event saw the basic cable premieres of , the ABC Family premieres of Disney's animated films and Hercules, and the ABC Family original film The Dog Who Saved Christmas. In 2010, the event, which began on November 21, included the sequel, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation. The 2012 event began on November 17th, marking the block's earliest start until its 2018 rebranding, and included the premiere of Home Alone: The Holiday Heist and the network premiere of . The 2016 event, the first time the block ran following the channel's name change from ABC Family to Freeform, began on Thanksgiving Day of that year (November 24th) and included the network's premiere of The Holiday. The 2017 event began on November 18th and included the television premiere of 's , as well as the Freeform premiere of Four Christmases. The countdown event also notably included many holiday specials that had previously only aired as part of the main 25 Days of Christmas block. For 2018, the countdown block was renamed KickOff to Christmas and began on November 1st. Christmas programming Current (2019) ;Movies * Arthur Christmas * Deck the Halls * The Holiday * Home Alone * Home Alone 2: Lost in New York * Home Alone 4 * Home Alone: The Holiday Heist * How the Grinch Stole Christmas * Life Size 2: A Christmas Eve * Love the Coopers * Miracle on 34th Street * The Nightmare Before Christmas * Richie Rich's Christmas Wish * The Santa Clause * The Santa Clause 2 * The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause * The Truth About Christmas ;TV specials and episodes * The Simpsons: "The Fight Before Christmas" * The Simpsons: "Holidays of Future Passed" * The Simpsons: "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" * The Simpsons: "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" * The Simpsons: "The Nightmare After Krustmas" * The Simpsons: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" * The Simpsons: "'Tis the Fifteenth Season" Former Please note, some of the movies listed below are still shown as part of the 25 Days of Christmas itself. ;Movies *''12 Dates of Christmas'' (2012, 2018) *''Angels Sing'' (2018) *''Angry Angel'' (2017) *''Beethoven's Christmas Adventure'' (2018) *''Call Me Claus'' (2018) *''A Carol Christmas'' (2008-2010) *''A Chance of Snow'' (2008-2009) *''Chasing Christmas'' (2008-2009) *''Christmas Bounty'' (2013, 2017) *''The Christmas Box'' (2008-2009) *''A Christmas Carol'' (2015, 2017-2018) *''Christmas Caper'' (2008-2009) *''Christmas Cupid'' (2011-2012) *''Christmas Do-Over'' (2008-2009) *''Christmas Every Day'' (2012) *''Christmas in Boston'' (2008-2009, 2013) *''The Christmas List'' (2008-2009, 2012) *''A Christmas Romance'' (2008) *''The Christmas Secret'' (2008-2009) *''The Christmas Wish'' (2009-2010) *''Christmas with the Kranks'' (2018) *''A Dennis the Menace Christmas'' (2008-2009, 2013, 2017) *''Desperately Seeking Santa'' (2011-2012) *''The Dog Who Saved Christmas'' (2009-2011) *''The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation'' (2010) *''Elf'' (2017) *''Eloise at Christmastime'' (2008-2009, 2012, 2017) *''The Family Man'' (2008, 2012) *''The Family Stone'' (2015, 2018) *''Fred Claus'' (2013, 2016) *''Four Christmases'' (2017) *''Holiday in Handcuffs'' (2008-2012, 2015) *''A Holiday to Remember'' (2008-2009) *''Home Alone 4'' (2009-2010, 2012) *''Home Alone: The Holiday Heist'' (2012, 2017) *''I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'' (2009, 2013) *''I'll Be Home for Christmas'' (2013, 2018) *''Jack Frost'' (2012, 2017) *''Jingle All the Way'' (2015-2016) *''Jingle All the Way 2'' (2018) *''The Mistle-tones'' (2017) *''Mrs. Santa Claus'' (2008) *''Must Be Santa'' (2008) *''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' (2014, 2016-2017) *''Naughty or Nice'' (2009) *''Once Upon a Christmas'' (2008-2011) *''Picking Up & Dropping Off'' (2008-2009) *''The Polar Express'' (2015) *''The Prince & Me: A Royal Honeymoon'' (2009) *''Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July'' (2017) *''Santa Baby'' (2008-2012, 2015) *''Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe'' (2011-2012) *''Santa Buddies'' (2011) *''Santa, Jr.'' (2008-2009) *''Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups'' (2017-2018) *''Santa Who?'' (2008-2009) *''Scrooged'' (2016) *''The Search for Santa Paws'' (2011) *''Snow'' (2009, 2011-2012, 2017-2018) *''Snow 2: Brain Freeze'' (2009, 2011-2012) *''Snowglobe'' (2008-2010, 2012, 2017-2018) *''The Sons of Mistletoe'' (2008-2009) *''Stealing Christmas'' (2008-2009) *''Three Days'' (2008-2009, 2012) *''To Grandmother's House We Go'' (2009-2010) *''Twice Upon a Christmas'' (2008-2011) *''Unaccompanied Minors'' (2012, 2018) *''Unlikely Angel'' (2008-2010, 2013) ;Specials and TV episodes *''Boy Meets World'': "Santa's Little Helper" (2010) *''Frosty's Winter Wonderland'' (2007, 2017) *''Gotta Catch Santa Claus'' (2009) *''Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure'' (2009-2010) *''Jack Frost'' (2017) *''Mickey's Christmas Carol'' (2012) *''Mickey's Christmas Special'' (2011) *''Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey'' (2011) *''Rudolph's Shiny New Year'' (2007, 2017) *'''Twas the Night Before Christmas'' (2017) *''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' (2017) References Category:Programs